1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spinning reel drag knob, particularly to a spinning reel drag knob that is screwed onto the front end of a spool shaft where a spool is attached to regulate drag force of a drag mechanism.
2. Background Information
In front-drag spinning reels, a spool normally contains drag washers of a drag mechanism. The drag force of the drag washers are regulated by a drag knob screwed onto a spool shaft. Generally, a well-known drag knob includes a knob body and a press member. The knob body is a rimmed member having a knob portion on the front side thereof. The knob body contains at least a part of the press member. The knob body has a cylindrical outer periphery formed on the back side of the rim. Some drag knobs of this type have been widely known to have a sealing member that is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the knob body (or the press member) to prevent liquid from entering the housing part that contains the drag washers. For example, drag knobs of this type are described in Laid-open Japan Patent Application Publication Nos. JP-A-2004-135542 and JP-A-2006-136216. In the drag knob described in the former publication, the sealing member is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the press member. The sealing member seals a clearance between the press member and the inner periphery of the spool. The sealing member simultaneously seals the rear end surface of the press member. In the drag knob described in the latter publication, on the other hand, the seal member seals a clearance between the outer peripheral surface of the knob body and the inner peripheral surface of the spool. Thus, liquid is blocked from entering the inner housing part of the spool that contains the drag mechanism with the foregoing structures because the sealing member is attached between the drag knob and the inner peripheral surface of the spool.
In the well-known drag knobs having the foregoing structures, a large space is produced between the back side of the rim and the front side of the sealing member. Due to this structure, liquid may be caught in the space in some occasions such as when fishing is done on a rainy day or the spinning reel is soaked and washed in liquid. If liquid is actually caught in the space, the liquid may further flow into the inner housing part of the spool that contains the drag mechanism when the drag knob is detached from the spinning reel. Specifically, when the distal end of the sealing member is detached from the inner peripheral surface of the spool, liquid caught in the space may further flow into the inner housing part of the spool that contains the drag mechanism.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved spinning reel drag knob that prevents liquid from entering the housing part that contains the drag mechanism and simultaneously prevents liquid from being caught in the space between the sealing member and the rim of the drag knob. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.